Monday, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors discussed a myriad of topics including garbage disposal, the Millard lake project, tax receipt reports and inmate training.
District IV Supervisor Farron Moeller told the board that he and board attorney Joe Montgomery met with officials at Central Landfill to talk about pricing.
“Residents can bring four 50-gallon bags per week,” Moeller said. “If you been paying to bring more than four, bring four big bags and that will save you some money. If you have large amounts of garbage, it’s $33 per ton.”
Montgomery suggested the supervisors schedule a workshop and study the information before meeting with officials.
At the last board meeting, representatives with Pat Harrison Waterway District spoke to the board about a possible collaboration with regards to the Millard lake project.
Supervisors estimated the cost to join Pat Harrison to be about $262,000 versus the $75,000 annual payment to the Pearl River Basin.
District III Supervisor Hudson Holliday said he received a call from members with Pat Harrison who told him the annual fee was negotiable.
Perry said it’s hard to believe they would drop from nearly $275,000 to $75,000.
The board approved a motion allowing for Perry, Holliday, Montgomery and Lumpkin to meet with officials at Pat Harrison Waterway District.
In another matter, Pearl River County resident Tavish Kelly addressed the board about the alleged lack of reporting on monthly reports. In addition to the monthly claims docket, there needs to be a monthly revenue or received report for all taxes that come into the county, he said.
Kelly cited Miss. Code Ann. 19-11-23, Monthly report of clerk.
“It doesn’t appear those are being presented at the first meeting of every month,” Kelly said.
Lumpkin said everything is presented and that he normally does it at the second meeting. The last few months, he added, that they have been scanning financial documents and putting them on the county’s website.
“The auditor’s office prescribes the accounting we use, it’s a nine digit number, the first three to funds, the second three to departments and the last three to objectives,” Lumpkin said. “Everyone in the state uses them. It’s not going to print out in checkbook form.”
The county’s budget report and claims docket can be found at http://www.pearlrivercounty.net/pages/finance.html/
Also during Monday’s meeting, Pearl River Community College Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development Scott Alsobrooks addressed the board about approving a summer inmate training program.
Several years back, the college hosted this program in coordination with Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison.
“He identified about a dozen trustees that were transported to the college every day where they were taught basic automotive skills,” Alsobrooks said. “They come in for about eight weeks. The ultimate goal is to keep those guys out of jail and give them a skill so they can be a productive member of society when they get through.”
The automotive work is mostly performed on the Sheriff’s Department fleet of cars, Alsobrooks added, which saves the county a lot of money. Alsobrooks said the county would need to pay $6,498 and the college will receive $4,664 from the State of Mississippi through the Workforce Enhancement Training fund. The sheriff said the funds will come from the inmate welfare canteen account, not county tax dollars.
The board approved a motion to participate in the program.

In other action:
• The board approved the retirement of Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Scar and transferred ownership of the animal to his handler.
• County Engineer Les Dungan presented the board with a final acceptance and joint letter releasing the contractor from any further responsibility on the bridge replacement on Gumpond Beall Road. The project is complete, he added.
Dungan also addressed the heavy rainfall that occurred in the county last week.
“We’re working hard looking at some of the drainage problems that have come to light after the heavy rains,” Dungan said. “We looked at a 60 inch culvert on West Union Road and state aid has authorized use of state aid funds to help repair that culvert.”
The work at Liberty Road Water Park is under water as of Friday, Dungan said. He told the board he is waiting for the water to recede in order to assess damage to the work. Once work is complete, Dungan said the rise and fall of water will be controlled in that area.
• Kelly also inquired as to the status of the independent audit of the former Pearl River County Chancery’s Clerk David Earl Johnson’s Quickbooks records and the AS/400 data.
Lumpkin said he sent out about 20 requests for bids last week and they have until May 13 to respond. There should be an update about the audit at the next meeting, Lumpkin added.
The next board meeting will be held on May 18 at 9 a.m.